Mixing & MasteringHUbert Kofi Anti

Mixing & MasteringHUbert Kofi Anti

The goal of mixing is to bring out the best in your multi-track recording by adjusting levels, panning, and time-based effects (chorus, reverb, delay). The aim is to sculpt your arrangement to make sense of all your tracks in relation to each other.

Time to give your mix a little haircut. A little snip here, a little trim there. Balance those levels and don’t be afraid to give parts the big chop. Get a basic balance of your levels before you go crazy with effects processing. Trim ‘em so they don’t clip later.

Panning is basically the width of a mix. It’s the left to right breadth of the stereo field. Panning allows for sounds to be placed in your mix properly. Either to the left, or the right of the stereo center. Keep your heavier or lower sounds near the centre. This means the bass or the kick. Use them as a centring force that you can work around. If everything is panned centrally, your mix will sound flat or crowded.

Every sound is made of frequencies. Frequency is measured with Hertz (Hz). Equalizing is the art of boosting, cutting and balancing all the frequencies in a mix to get the sound you want. You’ll often hear the frequency spectrum described as the Highs, Mids and Lows. Bass instruments have a very low-heavy, boomy sound. Their output is mostly low in the frequency spectrum. Alternately, a snare or a high-hat are a lot more tinny, so they will typically appear in the mid or high frequencies. Even though we can place these sounds in the general high and low categories, all sounds will have important information in both the highs and the lows. Keep this in mind while you’re mixing.

Compression is the process of taming the dynamic range. This is done with a compressor that sets specific limits on how much of a frequency is let through. They boost the quieter portions and lower the louder parts, providing a more consistent and balanced overall sound. Compressors are like really good daycare workers that quiet the louder kids down while encouraging the shy kids to speak up. How much a compressor does is determined by the compressor’s Ratio. Higher ratios affect the dynamic range more. But be careful not to get carried away. Applying too much compression is a danger zone. Using only compression to try and balance levels in a mix will lead to a lifeless, punch­less, and fatiguing mix. Yucky. Use compression in conjunction with volume (gain) to get the best results.

Harness the power of reverb to create a real acoustic space for your sound. Do it to add some three-dimensionality to your mix. It doesn’t matter if you tracked your instruments in isolation. Be a sound magician and make it sound like they’re all playing together in the same room. But be aware that this is a more subtle technique than using reverb as an effect. It’s a perfect time to use that pro mixing touch you’ve developed since you started reading this article. Start by using the ‘Small Room’ or ‘Ambiance’ presets on your reverb (or the most similar preset on your DAW of choice).

Mixing isn’t a textbook process you can learn overnight. It’s equal parts know-how, instincts, and risk taking. It’s one of the most creative steps in your process. Don’t squander it by following some dry, stale guide that says there’s only one way to do things. If you wanna put a flanger on your Flute, then put a flanger on your Flute!